It has been a tough season for the Ryan Cowboy baseball squad with the team fashioning a 4-11 record heading into today’s Class B District Tournament at Grandfield.
However, in high school baseball, every team enters the post season and the Cowboys hope to advance to regional play if they can some how catch fire and win the district title.
The Cowboys will take on the loser of the tourney’s first game – either Grandfield or top-seed Olustee/Eldorado. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Cowboys will play again at 5 p.m. and will take on the winner of the Grandfield-Olustee contest.
The Cowboys finished the regular season on Monday with a pair of losses to Geronimo and Waurika at Geronimo’s diamond.
Ryan struck for a pair of runs in the top of the first against Geronimo as Joseph Martin and Grayson Tomberlin both scored runs.
But, Geronimo pounded the Cowboys in the bottom of the inning by sending 14 batters to the plate and scored nine runs to hold a 9-2 lead.
The Cowboys mounted a rally in the third inning as G. Tomberlin singled, advanced on two passed balls and scored on a wild pitch.
Andrew Villerreal walked and scored on passed ball. The Cowboys also left the bases loaded, but cut the lead to 9-4.
Geronimo extended the lead to 11-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and it could have been worse as the Bluejays left the bases loaded.
The Cowboys got things going in the top of the fourth inning as Dawson Tomberlin singled and G. Tomberlin doubled.
A. Villerreal then blasted a two-run double to right field and after Cameron Villerreal was hit by a pitch Walter Snider had a two-run single to score both runners.
The Cowboys left two runners stranded but narrowed the lead to 11-8.
In the top of the fifth, the Cowboys managed one more run after D. Tomberlin walked and G. Tomberlin got an RBI-double down the left field line.
But the Cowboys could do no more damage and fell, 11-9.
G. Tomberlin was 2-for-3 to pace the Cowboys at the plate.
In the second game of the night, the Cowboys suffered from fielding miscues and the inability to rattle the Waurika pitching staff.
Trailing 5-0 after three and a half innings, the Cowboys entered the bottom of the inning with consecutive walks to D. Tomberlin and G. Tomberlin. An RBI-bunt single by A. Villerreal scored D. Tomberlin.
G. Tomberlin was able to score on a errant pickoff attempt by the Waurika catcher and the Cowboys trailed only 5-2 after four innings.
However, in the top of the fifth, Waurika exploded for five runs and the Cowboys could not mount a threat in the bottom of the fifth and fell, 10-2.
Martin was the lone bright spot at the plate for the Cowboys with two hits in the lead off position.
A week ago today the Cowboys picked up their fourth victory of the year with a 9-0 victory at Grandfield.
Tate Kimbro and Martin led off the game with a pair of singles and scored on G. Tomberlin’s two-run double.
The Cowboys added to the lead when River Williams got a base hit that scored G. Tomberlin giving the Cowboys a 3-0 lead after one inning.
Ryan continued its offensive onslaught in the top of the second inning with a six-run outburst fueled by a pair of home runs.
Trey Bryant led off the inning with a walk that was followed by Kimbro’s single. Martin reached based on an error to load the bases.
G. Tomberlin then blasted the first pitch over the fence for a grand slam that put the Cowboys in front, 7-0.
But Ryan was not finished scoring in the inning. Williams singled and stole second and A. Villerreal sent a full-count pitch over the fence giving the Cowboys a 9-0 advantage.
Kimbro, G. Tomberlin and Williams paced with Cowboys at the plate with two hits apiece.
Meanwhile, Martin was effective on the mound despite giving up one walk and hitting two Bearcats. However, Grandfield did not pick up a base hit in the three-inning contest and Martin was credited with the win and the no-hitter.
It was the first no-hitter tossed by a Ryan pitcher since Hunter Wright did it in 2008 against Central High.
G. Tomberlin also set a school mark by collecting six runs batted in breaking the old mark of five held by a number of players.
The last time a Cowboy had five runs batted in came in 2011 when Lucas Ninman did it against Temple and Denver Overstreet did it against Empire in the same season.
The first Cowboy (on record) to have five runs batted in during a game came in 1949 when Jerry Goza did it against Union Valley.
It was a tough outing for the Cowboys a week ago Tuesday when they traveled to Waurika and dropped a pair of contests.
Snider was the only Cowboy to get a base hit in a 17-0, three-inning loss to Dickson.
The 17 runs all came in the second inning and it ties the school record for most runs allowed in an inning done by Big Pasture in 1995 and again in 1997.
The Cowboys could muster no offense in the second game of the night either and fell to Waurika, 8-0.
The Eagles jumped out on top of the Cowboys after the first inning with a three-run uprising and the Cowboys were never in the game
The Cowboys lone hit came in the top of the second as Andrew V. reached base on a single.
